How is Rodenstock doing?

[Vick Ko]

As a spinoff of the Docter thread, and the demise of a fine optics company, how is the Rodenstock / LINOS company and line doing?

Are Rodenstock lenses still plentiful; are people buying them; I assume they still perform fantastically.

Vick

[Frank Petronio]

They haven't introduced anything new in years. I always liked them better because they didn't get Schneideritis as often and they have always been sharp. But, if you want to support a lens company that is still active in the marketplace, that seems to be Schneider. Only Schneider at this point.

[Oren Grad]

Frank, they've released gobs of digital lenses.

More to the point, Schneider and Rodenstock seem to have partitioned the LF lens market to some extent, in that each is now offering some important lenses that the other does not. For example, Schneider no longer offers a 135, which for many (including me) is a key focal length for 4x5. The 240 and 360 Apo-Symmars are gone now, too. But Rodenstock offers all three.

So don't bite off your nose to spite your face - buy the lens that's best for your purposes. If you need a new SS-XL or Fine Art XXL or 480 plasmat, you'll need to buy Schneider. If you need a 135 or a 240 or a 360 plasmat, you can't get it new from Schneider. Where they offer directly competing products, weigh the detailed features and price, as always.

[naturephoto1]

Hi Frank,

I do not think that that is quite right. I think that Rodenstock introduced their f5.6 100mm Apo Sironar S only a few years ago. They have also been introducing more and more into their digital line of lenses. But, specifically large format lenses, they have not introduced that many in some time.

Now there are only 3 main players in the market for large format lenses since the exit of Nikon and only they and Schneider are more easily found than Fuji from more stores. Hopefully they will find that there is a sufficient market to do more research and to introduce some newer lenses.

Rich

[Robert Skeoch]

This is off topic a bit but you might find it interesting. I ordered a Fujinon 300mmC as a stock item a few weeks ago. It wasn't for a clients order, just for stroe stock so I was in no hurry.
When the reply came back they said Fuji was out of the lens at this time, and they weren't scheduled to make anymore until the spring. (I think they said March but can't remember which month for sure.)
I think it's good to know that they're still actually making the lenses not just selling off what they had.
When the other lens I ordered came in (a fujinon 135mm) it came in a large box with a funky case that will hold one or two lens mounted on Tech. boards. I thought this was a nice addition because in the past the lens just come in the box.

Just some tidbits you might find interesting.

-Rob Skeoch
www.bigcameraworkshops.com

[Joseph O'Neil]

When the reply came back they said Fuji was out of the lens at this time, and they weren't scheduled to make anymore until the spring. (I think they said March but can't remember which month for sure.)

-Rob Skeoch
www.bigcameraworkshops.com

-snip-

My understanding is this making lenses in batches is quite common anymore for several companies. A few years ago, I was half seriously looking at some Nikon lenses (gasp for 35mm! :) ), and I was told that certain lengths of telephoto Nikon lenses where only made once a year, not year round, and once everyone sold out of a particular size, you either bought used or waited until the next spring or next winter, whatever.

joe

[Bob Salomon]

Rodenstock is doing just fine. They have the Apo Sironar S line from 100 to 360mm. The Apo Sironar N in 150 and 210mm, Apo Macro Sironar in 120 and 180mm, Grandagon N from 65 to 90mm, Apo Grandagon from 35 to 55mm for large format. The newest is the 100mm Apo Sironar S.

In digital they have the Apo Sironar Digital from 35 to 180mm, Apo Sironar Digital HR from 28 to 180mm and the Apo Macro Sironar Digital in 120mm Plus a new line of digital lenses starting with a 70mm was shown at Photokina along with the new 28 and 180mm.

All together they offer 34 lenses for analog and digital view cameras.

As for the status of Linos see the October Press Release regarding the buyout of Linos by Qioptiq Group takes over LINOS AG Göttingen, October 11, 2006. The shareholders of LINOS AG have offered to sell Optco Akquisitions GmbH


at:

http://www.linos.com/pages/mediabase/originalpm__bernahme_06-10-11_englisch_-_final_4252.pdf

[Ted Harris]

Bob, I'm getting an error message on the link you posted....

[naturephoto1]

Bob, I'm getting an error message on the link you posted....

Ditto.

Rich

[Oren Grad]

Try this one (http://www.linos.com/pages/mediabase/original/pm__bernahme_06-10-11_englisch_-_final_4252.pdf).

[Bob Salomon]

That is what happens when I copy and paste the link directly. At lease Oren's works. Thanks Oren.

[Colin Graham]

Any chance they might make the 200mm Grandagon again (for those of us crazy enough to pack one around)? I've never seen one come up used.

[Bob Salomon]

Colin,

No. Unless someone wants to order an entire production run of them.